Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Music Beta from Google

By Doug Ruffin
President,
Boston Music Coalition  

If your haven’t heard the news today..oh boy … Google has news for you. Known as the worst secret in the music industry; Google has launched a beta version of its music service.

The Music Beta from Google service will let you upload your personal collection, create playlists and play them back on any computer or personal device. You can pick a song and Music Beta from Google will create an, “instant mix” playlist for play back on any computer or personal device. If you create a playlist on your phone, that playlist will be available on any computer and yes, it works the other way around. Google Music can be saved to a device and your music can be played off line.

You can request an invitation to try out the service. Visit: http://music.google.com/about/

Check out the video from Music Beta from Google.   

Monday, May 9, 2011

Great weekend at Jazz Week

By
Doug Ruffin
President,
Boston Music Coalition

I know it’s the middle of the week, but I gotta’ tell ya’, I had a great weekend attending Jazz week. In my last blog, (see below) I gave you an overview of the Jazz Week events. When Jazz Week concluded on May 8th, I was truly satisfied as to what I saw, what I heard and the great people I met. I want to tell you about two highlights for me at Jazz Week this weekend.

Eric in Two Evenings 2: Regent Theatre, Arlington MA, Friday 7:30 – until ….

Eric Jackson celebrates 30 years of Broadcasting on WGBH. His Jazz Broadcast, “Eric in the Evening” is a corner stone of Jazz Broadcasting in Boston. To celebrate Eric Jackson, one needs to take two evenings. This second evening took place at the regent theatre in Arlington on Friday night.

Hal Miller is a music historian, Jazz percussionist and life long Jazz fan. He has an amazing collection of Jazz film clips and shared some of Eric Jacksons’ favorite music clips. I like Jazz; but I didn’t realize how much I knew. The information presented by Hal Miller was engaging and the clips were crisp, full sounding and generated an exciting energy throughout the audience.

After an intermission, Eric Jackson got up to thank the audience and all the support he received through the years. He talked about his early beginnings with WHRB and WILD Radio before landing the gig at WGBH. For me, his broadcast history was personal. I was a student at a small high school in Boston called, “Roxbury Medical Technical Institute”. The effort was to encourage students to explore professional career choices. Lucky for me, Broadcasting was one of the schools’ career choices. The instructor was Eric Jackson. Eric and I stayed in touch every so often. We have been talking a lot about the Boston Music Coalition by phone but we have not met in person for over 20 years. Eric was happy and surprised to see me and he introduced me to the leadership in Jazz music in Boston including JazzBoston.

Evelyn Rosenthal & Steve Kirby at the Sunset Café, Cambridge MA. Saturday 7:30

A great Brazilian dinner goes well with a Brazilian music fusioned jazz dual. That’s what a packed room enjoyed at the Sunset Café in Cambridge. Evelyn Rosenthal and Steve Kirby sang and played through the night for the dinner audience until 10:30. During a break, I talked with Evelyn Rosenthal. She has several gigs coming up and we’ll talk to her about her music, influences and her gigs this Summer in a later blog.

Jazz week was full of great music, fun, informative and for me, personal.

To learn more about other events from JazzBoston, visit http://www.jazzboston.com/ .

Know a Jazz band or a Jazz event we should hear about? Become a BMCiReporter. Send band, artist or event information to BMCiReporter@BostonMusicCoalition.com.  
    

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Weekend is Here and This Is Jazz Week!

By
Doug Ruffin
President,
Boston Music Coalition

Jazz week ’11 is happening now through Sunday May 8th. Free events at the library, all ages music events inside and out. Jazz is playing throughout greater Boston. Find the traditional, the not so traditional and the unexpected. Not just in the variety of jazz music but the amazing venues to see and hear jazz greats a long side with new talent.

So as to not miss a single blue note; we are providing you with a link to this weekends schedule for Jazz week ’11.  Click HERE for the Schedule.

Resources

Music

This Week's Number 1 Billboard Jazz Song


                                                                Boney James
                                                                  "Contact"



Venues

Here are a few of the Boston area Jazz spots


Ryles Jazz Club
212 Hampshire St.
Cambridge, MA  02135

617-876-9330

Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston, MA

617 562-4111

Slades Bar & Grill
958 Tremont St.
Roxbury, MA

(617) 442-4600

The Beehive
541 Tremont Street, Boston
Center for the Arts
Boston, MA  02116
617-423-0069



Jazz Radio

WBRS 100.1
"Jazz Cafeteria"
Mon-Thu: 12PM-1:30PM

WERS 88.9
"Music for the Independent Mind"
Mon-Fri: 2AM-7PM; Sat: 2-10AM; Sun: 3-6AM

WGBH 89.7
Eric Jackson - "Jazz with Eric in the Evening"
Mon-Thu: 8PM-12AM

Steve Schwartz - "Jazz at Studio Four"
Fri: 8PM-12AM

Bob Parlocha - "Jazz with Bob Parlocha"
Mon-Thu: 12AM-5AM

Dee Dee Bridgewater - "Jazz Set"
Fri: 12AM-1AM; Sun: 9PM-10PM

Ray Smith - "Jazz Decades"
Sun: 7PM-8PM

"Riverwalk Jazz"
Sun 8PM-9PM

WHRB 95.3
"Jazz Spectrum"
Mon-Fri: 5AM-1PM; Sat: 5-9AM

WICN 90.5 (Worcester)
Jazz seven days a week.


Links

Boston Jazz Society:                www.bostonjazzsociety.org

Jazz Composers Alliance:        http://jazzcomposersalliance.org/

Marblehead Jazz Associates:   http://www.marbleheadjazz.org/

New England Jazz Alliance:    http://www.nejazz.org/